Trust joins fight to protect Welsh upland areas

26 June 2013

Trust donates to Campaign for Rural Wales and Alliance fighting fund.

The John Muir Trust has donated £2,000 to the fighting fund of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) and the Alliance (21 groups representing thousands of local people in Mid Wales) who are objecting to proposals for five large-scale (over 50 MW) wind farms and a 132kV connection to the power grid in upland areas of Powys.

A Conjoined Inquiry, which is likely to be Wales' longest ever planning hearing, started in Welshpool on 4 June 2013 and is expected to last until May 2014 at the earliest. The Inquiry was called because Powys County Council has objected to all 5 schemes. A petition signed by seven and half thousand objectors was presented to the Inspector on the first day of the Inquiry.

The Alliance is making a strong case against the proposals on the grounds that the turbines and pylons will disfigure the landscape and have an adverse impact on tourism.

The proposed sites for the wind farms are: Llanbadarn Fynydd; Llaithddu (pictured above); Llandinam; Llanbrynmair and Carnedd Wen. National Grid’s preferred route for the power line is from Cefn Coch near Llanfair Caereinion to Lower Frankton near Oswestry.

Stuart Brooks, Chief Executive of the Trust said: 'The Welsh Government's planning policy is forcing wind power installations to be sited inappropriately in beautiful upland areas of high wildness quality. The area is under huge pressure with many more wind installations in the pipeline. We stand fully behind the groups fighting to protect the last areas of wild land in Wales.'